The invention relates to utensils for mixing and pouring drinks and the like. It is particularly directed to a utensil of this type which is inexpensive to manufacture and convenient to use.
Utensils of this general type have been proposed in the past; see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,289,897 and 3,750,910. The '897 patent proposes a combined agitator and fluid lifting device which uses the same motor and a gear/clutch arrangement for rotating either the liquid lifting mechanism or the agitating mechanism. The '910 patent similarly proposes using the same motor and a ratchet mechanism to actuate the agitator or the pump. The housing containing the motor has to be lifted from the mixing vessel in order to pour mixing ingredients therein.
In contrast, this invention provides a mixer-pourer which is believed to be more convenient to use in that the housing which caps the mixing vessel need not be lifted therefrom in order to introduce mixing ingredients. A filling chute, which also serves as a handle, extends outwardly from the upper part of the vessel's sidewall, and is normally capped off by a part of the housing but can be uncovered by simply rotating the housing relative to the mixing vessel. One motor is used for the mixing or agitating function, and a separate motor is used for the pumping function, and each is directly coupled to a respective driveshaft, thus eliminating the prior art need for gears and clutch arrangements. Indeed, no gears of any kind are used in a utensil embodying the invention, thus saving considerable manufacturing and assembly expense and improving reliability. Particularly simple but efficient arrangements are used for the agitating and pumping functions. Other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description below.
In a particular exemplary and nonlimiting example, the invention is embodied in mixer-pourer using an open top vessel and an open top, handle-shaped filling chute extending outwardly from the upper part of the vessel's sidewall and communicating with the vessel's interior. A removable housing caps the vessel and the chute. The housing contains a mixer motor and a pump motor, at least one but typically four batteries, e.g., C-cells, and a manually operable switching arrangement for turning on only a selected one of the two motors at a time. A mixer shaft is directly driven by the mixer motor and extends downwardly therefrom into the vessel, to a point near the vessel's bottom. A bottom mixer blade is affixed to the bottom end of the mixer driveshaft to rotate therewith, at least one but preferably two upper mixer blades are affixed to a higher part of the mixer driveshaft to rotate therewith. A spout extends outwardly of the housing and a pump conduit extends downwardly from the housing into the vessel and has a top end in fluid flow communication with the spout and a bottom end near the vessel's bottom. A pump is secured at the bottom end of the pump conduit, and a pump driveshaft is directly driven by the pump motor and extends downwardly therefrom to the pump. A brace is secured to the pump conduit and extends therefrom to the mixer driveshaft and has an opening in which it is journaled for rotation. The switching arrangement has a push button which normally is biased to a neutral position, in which both motors are off, but can be moved to a mixing position in which only the mixer motor is on, and a pumping position in which only the pump motor is on. The housing is manually rotatable relative to the vessel to uncover the filling chute while continuing to cap off the vessel itself, so that mixing ingredients can be introduced into the vessel through the filling chute. If need be, as for cleaning, the entire housing can be removed by simply lifting it up from the vessel.